Sections of the Stanley Park Seawall will be closed for just under three weeks as crews work to remove speed gates, officials say. Three of these gates are being removed along the seawall: at Lumberman’s Arch, Prospect Point and Third Beach. As a result, the City of Vancouver says the seawall will be closed from Lumberman’s Arch to Third Beach from Oct. 26 until Nov. 14—with the potential for intermittent closures happening until Nov. 20. “To reduce disruptions to your visit, we’re co-ordinating this work with annual rock scaling and seawall maintenance,” reads an update from the City of Vancouver website. Speed gates, also known as maze gates, are set up along some shared pedestrian and cyclist pathways to ensure that bicycles are walked through heavy pedestrian zones. The city says different safety measures are in place or will be created where each speed gate is being removed. A motion to remove the gates was unanimously approved by the Vancouver Park Board on May 6, 2024. As for why the gates are being removed, the city explains that the structures “can create accessibility barriers for people who use adaptive bikes, such as hand-cycles, trailers, or longer bicycles.” The city says detours will be in place while the closures are in effect, as detailed in a map on its website.
